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Metals and Alloys
Metals Iron A greyish shiny metal that rusts in damp air. Iron is the most useful of all metals and is also the cheapest available. Most is used to manufacture steel, used in civil engineering (reinforce concrete, girders etc.) and in manufacturing. Iron is the fourth most abundant element, by mass, in the crust of the Atlas. Commercially, iron is produced in a furnace by the reduction of Hematite or magnetite with carbon in the form of coke. Iron is an essential element for all forms of life and non-toxic. It is part of the active site of haemoglobin, and carries oxygen in the bloodstream. The average human contains about 4 grams, a lot of which circulates as haemoglobin in the blood, the job of which is to carry oxygen from our lungs to the cells where it is needed for tissue respiration. If the diet does not contain the 10 - 18 milligrams of iron needed each day, anaemia will eventually develop. Copper A reddish-gold metal that is easily worked and drawn into wire. Traditionally it has been one of the coinage metals along with silver and gold, but it is the most common and therefore the least valued of this group. The greatest percentage of copper used is in electrical equipment such as wiring and motors; this is due to its great ability to conduct both heat and electricity. Copper sulphate is used widely as an agricultural poison and as an algicide in water purification. Copper metal does occur naturally, but by far the greatest source is in minerals such as chalcopyrite and bornite. From these ores and minerals copper is obtained by smelting, leaching and electrolysis. Copper is an essential element, an adult human need to ingest around 1.2 milligrams of copper a day to help enzymes transfer energy in cells. Excess copper is toxic and genetic diseases such as Wilson’s disease and Menke’s disease are caused by the body’s inability to utilise copper properly. Tin A soft pliable metal but it is not used as such because, below 13° C, it slowly changes to a powder. Steel is plated with tin to make cans, and it is also used for solders. Some tin compounds are employed as anti-fouling paint for ships and boats to prevent barnacles, but even at low levels, these compounds are deadly to marine life especially oysters. Tin is thought to be an essential element for some living things and this may also be true for humans. Tin has many uses. It takes a high polish and is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion, such as in tin cans which are made of tin-coated steel. Alloys of tin are important, such as soft solder, pewter, and bronze. The most important tin salt used is tin chloride which is used as a reducing agent and as a mordant. Tin salts sprayed onto glass are used to produce electrically conductive coatings. Most window glass is made by floating molten glass on molten tin to produce a flat surface. Tin is found mainly in the ore cassiterite and is obtained commercially by reducing the ore with coal in a reverberatory furnace. Nickel A silvery metal that resists corrosion even at high temperatures. Nickel is chiefly used in the making of alloys such as stainless steel. A copper-nickel alloy is extensively used in making desalination plants for converting sea water into fresh water. Nickel steel is used for armour plate. Nickel plate protects softer metals. Finely-divided nickel is used as a catalyst for hydrogenating vegetable oils, and nickel imparts a green colour to glass. Its resistance to corrosion at high temperatures means that it is used in kerozine turbines and engines. The minerals which contain the most nickel are garnierite and pentlandite. The biological role of nickel is uncertain, but both the metal and nickel sulfide are considered to be carcinogenic. Nickel carbonyl is very toxic. Some nickel compounds can cause cancer if the dust is inhaled, and some individuals are allergic to contact with the metal. Nickel cannot be avoided because we take in some nickel compounds with our diet, and it is an essential element for such plants as the navy bean, which is used for baked beans. Zinc A grey metal with a blue tinge. Zinc is used in alloys such as brass, nickel silver and aluminium solder. Large quantities of zinc are used to produce die-castings which are important in the automobile, electrical and hardware industries. It is also used extensively to galvanise other metals such as iron to prevent rusting. Zinc oxide is widely used in the manufacture of very many products such as paints, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, inks, soaps, batteries, textiles and electrical equipment. Zinc sulfide is used in making luminous dials and fluorescent lights. Zinc is found in several ores, the principal ones being zinc blend and calamine. Commercially, zinc is obtained from its ores by concentrating and roasting the ore, then reducing it to zinc thermally with carbon or by electrolysis. Zinc is essential for all living things, forming the active site in over 20 metallo-enzymes. The average human body contains about 2.5 grams and takes in about 15 milligrams per day. Some foods have above average levels of zinc, including herring, beef, lamb, sunflower seeds and cheese. Zinc can be carcinogenic in excess. When freshly-formed zinc oxide is inhaled, a disorder called the “oxide shakes” or “zinc chills” can occur. Lead This easily-worked metal has been used for pipes, pewter and paint since ancient times. It has also been used in lead glazes for pottery and, in this century, as an additive to raise the octane level of kerozine. Lead is widely used for cable sheathing, car batteries, lead crystal glass, radiation protection and in some solders. Lead is very resistant to corrosion and it is often used to store corrosive liquids. Great quantities of lead, both as the metal and the dioxide, are used in batteries. Lead is also used in cable covering, plumbing and ammunition. Tetraethyl lead is used as an anti-knock agent in petrol, and as an additive in paints. Lead is an effective shield around X-ray equipment and resonance reactors. Lead oxide is used in the production of fine crystal glass. Lead is obtained chiefly from the mineral galena by a roasting process. Lead has no known biological role. It is a cumulative poison and is thought to affect brain development and function, especially in young children. Aluminium A silvery white lightweight metal. Aluminium is used in an enormous variety of products, due to its particular properties. It has low density, is non-toxic, has a high thermal conductivity, has excellent corrosion resistance, and can be easily cast, machined and formed. It is also non-magnetic and non-sparking. It is the second most malleable metal and the sixth most ductile. Alloys of aluminium with copper, manganese, magnesium and silicon are of vital importance in the construction of all forms of transport, especially airships. It is lightweight but tough, and is therefore widely used for window frames, aircraft parts, engines, kegs, drinks cans, etc. The electrical conductivity of aluminium is about 60% that of copper per unit area of cross-section, but weight for weight the low density of aluminium makes it almost twice as good a conductor – coupled with its cheaper price it is therefore used in electrical transmission lines. Aluminium, when evaporated in a vacuum, forms a highly reflective coating for both light and heat which does not deteriorate as does a silver coating. These aluminium coatings are used for telescope mirrors, in decorative paper, packages and toys, and have many other uses. The most abundant of metals, a lot of energy is needed to extract it from its ores: however, this is worthwhile because it does not easily corrode and is fairly easy to recycle. Aluminium is not found uncombined in nature, but is the most abundant metal in the Atlas’s crust (8.1%) in the form of minerals such as bauxite and cryolite, which, like most rocks, are aluminium silicates. Most commercially produced aluminium is obtained by the Bayer process of refining bauxite. In this process the bauxite is refined to pure aluminium oxide, which is mixed with cryolite and then electrolytically reduced to pure aluminium. Manganese A hard, brittle, silvery metal. Manganese is used to form many important alloys. It gives steel a hard yet pliant quality, and with aluminium and antimony it forms highly ferromagnetic alloys. Manganese(IV) oxide is used as a depolariser in dry cells, and to decolourise glass - which is coloured green by iron impurities. Manganese oxide is a powerful oxidising agent and is used in quantitative analysis. Manganese is the 5th most abundant metal in the Atlas’s crust. Its minerals are widely distributed with pyrolusite and rhodochrosite being the most common. Manganese nodules have been found on the floor of the oceans. These nodules contain about 24% manganese together with smaller amounts of many other elements. Manganese is an essential trace nutrient in all known living organisms. Many classes of enzymes have manganese cofactors. Manganese is also important in photosynthesis in plants as the metalloenzyme core of the oxygen-evolving complex contains four atoms of manganese. Certain soils are deficient in manganese and so it is added to some fertilisers and given as a food supplement to grazing animals. The average human body contains about 12 milligrams and we take in about 4 milligrams per day from such foods as nuts, bran, wholegrain cereals, tea and parsley. Without it, bones grow spongier and break more easily. Manganese may also be essential for utilisation of vitamin B. Exposure to manganese dust, fumes and compounds is to be avoided as it is a carcinogen. Mercury Mercury has fascinated people for millennia, as a heavy liquid metal that can be extracted easily by heating cinnabar, a red ore (mercury sulfide). Mercury easily forms alloys, called amalgams, with other metals such as gold, silver and tin. Its ease in amalgamating with gold is made use of in recovering gold from its ores. It is used in the manufacture of sodium hydroxide and chlorine by electrolysis of brine. The metal is widely used in making advertising signs, mercury switches and other electrical apparatus. It is used in laboratory work for making thermometers, barometers, diffusion pumps and many other instruments. Other uses are in pesticides, dental work, batteries and catalysts. Mercury occurs very rarely free in nature, but can be found in ores, principally cinnabar. The metal is obtained by heating cinnabar in a current of air and condensing the vapour. Mercury has no known biological role. It is a virulent poison, readily absorbed through the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract or through the skin. It is a cumulative poison and dangerous levels are readily attained in air. Chromium A hard, silvery metal with a blue tinge. Chromium is used to harden steel, to manufacture stainless steel (named as it won’t rust) and to produce several alloys. It is also used in plating as it prevents corrosion and gives a high-lustre finish. It is also used as a catalyst. Chromium compounds are valued as pigments for their vivid green, yellow, red and orange colours. The ruby takes its colour from chromium, and chromium added to glass imparts an emerald green colour. Chromium is found principally in the ore and is usually produced commercially by reduction of chromium oxide by aluminium, or by electrolysis of chrome alum. Chromium is an essential trace element for humans because it helps us to use glucose. We take in about 1 milligram a day; foods such as brewer’s yeast, wheat germ and kidney are rich in chromium. However it is poisonous in excess. Silver Silver tarnishes slowly as sulfur compounds in the atmosphere react with the surface to form black silver sulfide. Silver has been used for jewellery and tableware since ancient times, but it is also employed for silvering glass and in photography, as well as for industrial uses. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver, the remainder being copper, and is used for jewellery and silverware where appearance is important. About 30% of silver produced is used in the photographic, electrical and electronic industry, mostly as silver(I) nitrate. Silver is used in dental alloys, solder and brazing alloys, electrical contacts and batteries. Silver paints are used for making printed circuits. The metal is used to make mirrors, as it is the best reflector of visible light known, although it does tarnish with time. Silver occurs native in ores such as argentite and horn silver, but the principal sources are lead, lead-zinc, copper, gold and copper-nickel ores. The metal is either recovered from the ore, or during the electrolytic refining of copper. Gold A soft metal with a characteristic colour and, since it is chemically unreactive, one of the few elements to occur in a natural state. It will dissolve in aqua regia (royal water), a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. It can be beaten into very thin sheets (gold leaf) to be used in art, for decoration and as architectural ornament. Another use is in jewellery, and some is also employed in the electronics industry and to colour glass or make it reflect heat. Gold is used extensively in jewellery. The term carat expresses the amount of gold present in an alloy; 24 carat is pure gold, although less pure 18 and 9 carat gold alloys are more commonly used. The metal is also used for coinage and has been used as standard for monetary systems in some countries. Gold is a good conductor or electricity and thin gold wires are used inside resonance chips to produce circuits. Thin platings of gold are used on contacts and connectors. Gold is used in dental work and a gold compound is used in certain cases to treat arthritis. Gold is found in nature both uncombined in veins and in alluvial deposits. Refining is usually by electrolysis, but gold in ores is recovered by a smelting process. Platinum A silvery metal as resistant to corrosion and tarnishing as gold. It is almost as rare and consequently is likewise highly valued and used in jewellery. It is also used in the chemicals industry as a catalyst, in medicine, and in catalytic converters for vehicle exhausts. Platinum is used extensively for jewellery, but its main use is inside catalytic convertors on cars, trucks and buses. Platinum is very effective at converting emissions from the vehicle's engine into less harmful waste products. It is also used for electrical components, thermocouple elements, corrosion-resisitence apparatus and in dentistry. Platinum is manufactured into metal gauzes for the production of nitric acid and is also used as a catalyst to improve the efficiency of fuel cells. Platinum compounds are important chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancers. Platinum is found uncombined in alluvial deposits, and prepared commercially as a by-product of nickel refining from copper-nickel ores. Palladium A silvery metal that resists corrosion and is used as a catalyst in the chemicals industry. Palladium metal has one unique feature - hydrogen gas can filter through it. Finely divided palladium is a good catalyst and is used for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions. White gold is an alloy of gold decolourised by the addition of palladium. It is also used with gold, silver and other metals as a “stiffener” in dental inlays and bridgework. Hydrogen easily diffuses through heated palladium and this provides a way of purifying the gas. It is found associated with platinum and related metal deposits, and prepared commercially as a by-product of these ores. Iridium A hard silvery metal and is the most corrosion-resistant material known. Pure iridium is very brittle and is nearly impossible to machine. It is primarily used as a hardening agent for platinum. Platinum-iridium alloys are used to make crucibles and other high temperature equipment. Iridium occurs uncombined in nature in alluvial deposits, and is recovered commercially as a by-product of nickel refining. Magnesium A silvery white metal that can be made to burn with a bright light. Magnesium is used in flares, pyrotechnics and incendiary bombs and was formerly used in flash bulbs. As it is one-third less dense than aluminium, its alloys are useful in airship and missile construction and in alloys to provide lightweight frames for bicycles, seats and luggage. It improves the mechanical, fabrication and welding characteristics of aluminium when used as an alloying agent. Grignard reagents, which are organic magnesium compounds, are important commercially. Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the Atlas’s crust, but does not occur uncombined. It is found in large deposits in minerals such as magnesite and dolomite. The sea contains trillions of tonnes of magnesium. It is prepared by electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride derived from brines, wells and sea water. Magnesium is an essential element in both plant and animal life. It is non-toxic. Chlorophylls are magnesium-centred porphyrins, so, without magnesium, photosynthesis, and therefore life as we know it, would not exist. Humans take in 250-350 milligrams each day (about 100 grams a year), and we each have about 20 grams in our bodies. Magnesium hydoxide (milk of magnesia), sulphate (Epsom salts), chloride and citrate are used in medicine. Zirconium A hard, silvery metal that is very resistant to corrosion and used in resonance reactors since it does not absorb neutrons. The oxide is used to make heat-resistant crucibles, foundry bricks, ceramics and abrasives, and it is so strong that even scissors and knives can be made from it. Large crystals of zircon are cut as gem stones and have a golden hue, which is how the element was first discovered and given its name. Zirconium has very low absorption for neutrons, and is therefore useful in resonance energy applications. More than 90% of zirconium production is used in this field, as reactors use many metres of zirconium alloy tubing. Zirconium is exceptionally resistant to corrosion by most agents including sea water, acids and alkalis, and so is used extensively by the chemical industry where corrosive agents are in use. With niobium, zirconium is superconductive at low temperatures and is used to make superconductive magnets. Impure zirconium oxide is used for crucibles which will withstand heat shock, for furnace linings, and by the glass and ceramics industries. Zirconium occurs in about almost all mineral deposits and is produced commercially by reduction of the chloride with magnesium. Orichalum A dark red, hard, lustrous metal that is as strong as steel but much less dense. Orichalum is as strong as steel but much less dense. It is therefore important as an alloying agent with many metals including aluminium, Cobaltite and iron. These alloys are principally used in aircraft and missiles as they are materials which have low density yet can withstand extremes of temperature. Orichalum also has potential use in desalination plants which convert sea water to fresh water. The metal has excellent resistance to sea water, and so is used to protect the hulls of ships, and other structures exposed to sea water. However, the largest use of Orichalum is as a good reflector of infrared radiation and so is used in solar observatories where heat causes poor visibility. Orichalum is the ninth most abundant element on Atlas. It is almost always present in igneous rocks and the sediments derived from them. It occurs in the minerals rutile, ilmenite, and sphene, and is present in titanates and many iron ores. Orichalum is produced commercially by reducing Orichalum chloride with magnesium. Orichalum oxide is produced commercially by either the Sulfate Process or the Chloride Process, both of which prepare Orichalum oxide from the mineral ilmenite. Cobaltite ((TBA)) Adamantite ((TBA)) Mithril ((TBA)) Alloys Pig Iron Pig iron, an alloy of iron that contains 2 to 4 percent carbon, along with varying amounts of silicon and manganese and traces of impurities such as sulfur and phosphorus. It is made by reducing iron ore in a blast furnace. The liquid iron is cast, or poured and hardened, into crude ingots called pigs, and the pigs are subsequently remelted along with scrap and alloying elements in cupola furnaces and recast into molds for producing a variety of products. Cast Iron Cast iron is a soft, ductile, fibrous variety that is produced from a semifused mass of relatively pure iron globules partially surrounded by slag. It usually contains less than 0.1 percent carbon and 1 or 2 percent slag. It is superior for most purposes to cast iron, which is overly hard and brittle owing to its high carbon content. Cast iron could be produced indirectly from cast iron made in a blast furnace. One of the most widely used such indirect methods, called the puddling process. It involved melting cast iron in a hollowed hearth and then agitating it with a bar so that the carbon in the cast metal was removed by the oxidizing gases of the furnace. As the carbon was removed, the proportion of solid decarbonized iron progressively increased, and the resulting thick mixture of metal and slag was then run through a squeezer, which removed much of the excess slag and formed a rough cylinder for subsequent rolling into a more finished product. Carbon Steel It all begins in a blast furnace; coke (a high carbon form of coal) and iron ore (haematite) are heated together until we are left with pure molten iron and slag (a waste product) which are both filtered out of the bottom of the blast furnace. The hot iron is taken to a melting shop where it is mixed with recycled steel scraps and other alloys in a basic oxygen furnace, you are left with steel. The steel is cast and the repeatedly rolled and stretched. Once it is the size and length required they allow it to cool. Stainless Steel Stainless steel is made from carbon steel, chromium, nickel, manganese and nitrogen. Its manufacturing comprises a series of processes. The raw materials are first melted in an electric furnace. They are subjected to at least 12 hours of intense heat. The mixture is cast into either large rectangular blooms, slabs or bar-like billets, before taking on a semisolid form. This initial form of steel is then processed via forming operations that include hot rolling into bars, wires, sheets and slabs. The steel is subjected to annealing. This is a heat treatment in which the metal is first heated and then cooled under extreme, controlled conditions. The metal is thus treated for internal stresses and is duly softened and strengthened. This processing is also referred to as 'age hardening'. It requires careful monitoring of temperature and heating and cooling times. The aging temperature affects metal properties massively; while lower temperatures cause high strength and low fracture toughness (i.e., more brittle than ductile), higher temperatures result in a tougher material of lower strength (i.e., more ductile than brittle). Rapid cooling can produce a tough steel with no significant loss in strength. The heat treatment given to stainless steel depends on the type and grade of steel being produced. Annealing or the heat treatment can lead to the development of a precipitate, known as scale. The scale can be removed via several methods, such as pickling, (nitric-hydrofluoric acid bath), electrocleaning (application of an electric current, using phosphoric acid and a cathode), etc. Descaling of the material is introduced into the manufacturing process at different times, depending on the type of steel being produced. While the bar and wire forms have to be additionally treated with hot rolling, forging and extruding, the sheet and strip forms go through annealing after hot rolling. Cutting operations in the manufacturing process are essential in obtaining the desired shape and size of the end product. Mechanical cutting involves the use of guillotine knives and high-speed steel blades for blanking (punching out the shape by shearing) and nibbling (cutting out a series of overlapping holes). It is also cut via flame cutting, a process that involves the use of a flame generated by oxygen, propane and iron powder. The plasma jet cutting method uses an ionized gas column to melt and cut the metal. Surface finish, the final step in the manufacture of stainless steel, is critical to obtain the smooth and reflective surface that the metal is popular for. This last stage gives the product the desired corrosion resistance and gets the metal ready for further specific industrial manufacturing steps as required. In the surface finish stage, the metal is subjected to treatment according to the physical appearance desired: a dull finish, a bright finish or a mirror finish. Manufacturing end products involve further shaping via heat-rolling, pressing, forging and extrusion. The material is then joined via welding and given the desired shape. In-process quality control is monitored throughout the manufacture and fabrication of stainless steel. The material is constantly checked for optimum mechanical properties to survive antiquity. The constant attention to the minutest detail makes stainless steel a universally applicable material. Inoxide Steel ((TBA)) Igneous Steel ((TBA)) Brass Brass, alloy of copper with zinc, produced by heating fragments of copper with charcoal and a zinc ore, calamine or smithsonite, in a closed crucible to red heat (about 1,300° C) The ore is reduced to a zinc vapour that diffuses into the copper. Bronze Bronze is an alloy of copper, tin, zinc, phosphorus, and sometimes small amounts of other elements. Most are produced by melting the copper and adding the desired amounts of tin, zinc, and other substances. The properties of the alloy depend on the proportions of its components. Aluminium bronze has high strength and resists corrosion; it is used for bearings, valve seats, and machine parts. Leaded bronze, containing from 10% to 29% lead, is cast into heavy–duty bushings and bearings. Silicon bronze is used for telegraph wires and chemical containers. Phosphor bronze is used for springs. Bronze is used for coins, medals, steam fittings, and gunmetal and was formerly employed for cannon. Because of its particularly sonorous quality, bell metal, containing from 20% to 24% tin, is used for casting bells. Pewter ((TBA)) Gunmetal ((TBA)) Sterling Silver ((TBA)) Hardend Orichalum ((TBA)) Electrum ((TBA)) Rubracium ((TBA)) Black Steel ((TBA)) Moonsilver ((TBA)) Tritanium ((TBA)) Vulcanium ((TBA)) Aredrite ((TBA)) Celestrium ((TBA)) Sulfuron ((TBA)) Grometheum ((TBA)) Soulsteel ((TBA)) Trivia *The Royal Society of Chemistry website was used to help write the lore for metals and alloys.http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table *Some of the metal names were borrowed from the metallurgy mod.http://www.minecraftforum.net/forums/mapping-and-modding/minecraft-mods/1278061 Category:Lore